The invention relates to atomizing apparatus in general, and more particularly to improvements in atomizing apparatus which can be utilized for the application of finely atomized liquids to webs of paper or other hygroscopic material.
Commonly owned German Pat. No. 952 765 to Nagler et al. discloses an apparatus which can be utilized to moisturize webs of paper, cardboard, wool, cotton, linen and the like. The atomizers of the patented apparatus employ liquid supplying and gas supplying nozzles each of which is separately connected to the housing of the atomizer by means of threads. A swirling or twisting member is mounted on the liquid supplying nozzle. The directional distribution and quantity of atomizing gaseous fluid are determined by the annular orifice of the respective nozzle. The swirling member sets the outflowing gas in circulatory motion and the circulating stream of gaseous fluid breaks up the flow of air into finely atomized particles. The resulting atomized liquid flow is a hollow cone. Such cone is not ideally suited to ensure uniform wetting of a web of paper or the like. In addition, manufacturing tolerances in connection with the making of threads on the nozzles and in connection with the making of tapped bores in the housing for the nozzles often entail a deformation of the annular orifice so that the width of the orifice is not constant. This results in a distortion of the conical flow of atomized liquid and causes further departures of the moisture profile of treated webs from a desired optimum value.
Published European patent application No. 0 226 757 of Hench discloses an apparatus for making aerosols. The apparatus employs a nozzle with hyperbolical guide means for flowable media and a specially designed turbine chamber. The nozzle is provided with a male insert and a female insert. The apparatus produces a conical spray of dispersed material.
German Offenlegungsschrift No. 29 49 598 of Debard discloses an atomizer which employs a single nozzle for atomizing a highly pressurized fluid such as hair spray.
German Offenlegungsschrift No. 25 35 585 of Bredegaard discloses an atomizer for the application of coats to ceramic materials. The atomizer employs two nozzles including a centrally located liquid-discharging first nozzle and an annular air-supplying nozzle which discharges a single stream of air to act upon the flow of liquid issuing from the orifice of the first nozzle.
German Auslegeschrift No. 22 37 717 to Liedberg discloses an atomizer wherein a centrally located first nozzle discharges a pressurized atomizing agent and an annular nozzle supplies the liquid to be atomized. The atomizer of Liedberg produces a hollow conical or hollow cylindrical spray of atomized material.
German Offenlegungsschrift No. 1 750 173 of Peczeli et al. discloses an oil atomizer wherein a centrally located nozzle conveys a liquid to a plurality of radially outwardly extending orifices which discharge the liquid into a swirling ring-shaped stream of atomizing fluid, such as compressed air. The atomizer of this publication forms a ring-shaped spray of atomized liquid and is said to be particularly suitable for dispersion of highly viscous fluids such as No. 6 fuel oil.